Assassin
by MonkeyStrawhatLuffy
Summary: Finally! The sequel to Pirate Queen. Luffy and Vivi's relationship was going fine until a disastorous event changes the Strawhat's lives forever. Suddenly, relationships are tense and what secrets is a stoaway hiding? LuffyxVivi...or is it?
1. Sudden Death

___**Wow. How long has it been since I've posted anything? 6 months? More? Too long is all I have to say. Anyway, I'm going to try and do better but still probably not as fast as I used to type. I promise though, that no matter how long it takes, I will see this story through. Oh. What is this story you ask? It's the sequel to Pirate Queen. I know alot of you have been waiting for this so here it is And of course, the wonderful disclaimer:I don't own One Piece or any of the characters in this story except for one original character that will show up later. I guess that's it. I'm going to try and stay closer to their personalities in this story so tell me what you think.**_

**Chapter 1**

"Come on Nathan!" Nami said impatiently. "I told you I would buy you something but this is ridiculous! You've been around Luffy way too long! Three months and you're already catching his enormous appetite!"

"But mom, you said I could have anything!" Nathan whined.

"I said I would buy you something! Not anything! Especially this giant...thing!" she cried.

"Please!!" he begged.

"No! I can't spend that much!" Nami yelled.

"It's not fair!!" Nathan screamed. By now, they had managed to attract a small audience.

Nami sighed and then squatted until she was looking Nathan in the eyes. When she spoke this time, it was in a softer, more gentle voice. "Nathan look, there are some things I can't afford and this is one of them. I told you when we left Baratie that things were going to be different. We have to do without things since we live with others now. We all have an equal share of money and I can't spend all of mine on things you want. There are more important things. How about this. I'll give you twenty beli to spend on whatever you want. Is that oaky?"

He smiled and nodded. "Sure." he said.

She took out her coin purse and handed him the money. He happily ran off to browse the candy store some more.

"Meet me at the fountain outside in twenty minutes!" Nami called after him. She wasn't sure he had heard what she had said. That meant she would wait at the fountain and when he didn't show up, she would have to come drag him out of one of the stores.

As she exited the candy shop, she looked around and finally thought about the town she was in. Lougetown. How long had it been? It had changed so much. Since the world had a Pirate King, the balance of the world had shifted. The government and pirates were no longer equals. The pirates were finally gaining the upper hand and it was all thanks to Monkey D. Luffy. That part itself still amazed her. And since Smoker had long given up pursuing them and had retired from the marines, Lougetown belonged to the pirates. It was great. Suddenly shops had sprung up and since the execution scaffold had been rebuilt, the town might as well have been a tourist spot. There were enough of them. Civilians and pirates alike flocked here every day to see the spot of Gold Roger's last stand and where the current Pirate King had nearly met the same fate.

When she reached the square where the fountain was, she stopped and pulled something out of her purse. It was the map she had made of Lougetown from their last visit. Although several things had changed, the map, for the most part, was still good. Smiling, she put it back and checked the clock. She still had fifteen minutes. "Might as well spoil myself a little too." she thought and took off for the nearest clothing store.

Ten minutes later, Nami emerged with a bag and a large grin. "To bad Sanji isn't around to carry my stuff for me. Oh well. It feels good to spoil myself!" she thought. Checking the clock, she quickly made her way to the fountain with minutes to spare. She quickly took a seat on it's edge, setting her bags down beside her, and watched the area around her.

"Hmmm...we better be getting back to the ship. The sun will begin setting in another hour and I would like to have set sail by then. I hope everyone else remembers when to come back to the ship. Otherwise, we might as well stay here all night," she thought.

Another look at the clock sent a chill down her spine. Ten minutes had passed since she had told Nathan to meet her. "Calm down." she thought, shoving back the rising since of panic. "He probably didn't hear me or lost track of time. Or maybe there was a long line. Still, maybe I should go look for him. But wait, if I leave the fountain and he comes looking for me, I'll be gone." Frustrated, Nami groaned. "Fine," she thought, "I'll wait another ten minutes then I'll go look for him. That's all the time I have to spare."

About that time, Luffy and Vivi made their way toward the fountain. They were holding hands and giggling like two kids in love, not like two adults soon to be married.

"Luffy! Vivi!" Nami called out, waving frantically.

"Oi! Nami!" Luffy called, grinning and waving. He and Vivi made there way over to the fountain where Nami was sitting.

Vivi immediately saw the worried look on Nami's face and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Eh, there's something wrong?" Luffy asked, puzzled.

Ignoring Luffy, Nami said, "It's nothing. I just wondered of you could do me a favor."

"Sure Nami-san. What is it?" Vivi asked.

"Well, me and Nathan were shopping and he wanted to go look around and buy something. I gave him twenty beli and told him to meet me here in twenty minutes. That was over half-an-hour ago. I don't know if he heard me so I think I should go looking for him. The problem is, what if he's just running late and I'm not here if he comes. So, would you mind sitting here while I go look for him? If he comes here just stay here and I'll be back to check. If I find him, we'll come back here and then we can all get back to the ship. We need to set sail by sunset." Nami said.

"Sure. Do you think he's alright? Do you want my help? Luffy could stay here and I could come with you." Vivi suggested.

"No. We don't need to leave him alone." Nami said, pointing at Luffy.

"Hm?" Luffy said as he cocked his head to the side. Then, "So what's wrong?"

Nami's eye twitched and a second later, Luffy found himself in the fountain with Vivi laughing and trying to pull him out as Nami stomped off.

"A lot of good he would have done." she muttered through clenched teeth. She sighed as the feeling of anger left her and anxiety took over. "Where could he be?" she thought. "Okay, think logically. He's probably at either the candy store or the toy store. Where else would a five year old kid go?"

She pushed her way through the crowd until she reached the candy store she had left him in. It was slowly clearing out as people made their way either to the docks or their hotel. Nami made her way to the counter after not finding Nathan anywhere. "Excuse me, but have you seen a little boy around her? He has blonde hair and blue eyes." Nami said to the cashier.

The bored old woman looked at her. "I see a million people a day. Am I supposed to remember one face?" she said, only slightly exaggerating on the amount of people she saw each day.

"Well it would help." Nami said through tightly clenched teeth that she had to force to stay in a smile.

The cashier stared blankly at her. "Well, if you think you could do better-"

"I don't have time for this! I'm looking for my son!" Nami screamed, causing a slight scene with a few spectators that were left in the shop.

The cashier continued with her same bored stare. "Look, I don't remember him so if you don't mind to move along. I've got other customers."

Nami glared at the woman but did as she asked. There was no time for this senseless arguing. She stepped back outside and looked in the direction of the sun. Judging by it's position, she only had about fifteen more minutes if she wanted to set sail and that was if she hurried.

At that moment, a shriek was heard from the alley behind one of the shops. While others ignored it (It was a pirate's town after all. Things like this were not unusual.), it made Nami's blood run cold and caused her to freeze in place, her eyes wide with panic.

"Nathan." she said in barely a whisper. In a second she was flying through the crowd in the direction of the shriek. "Please be okay." her thoughts pleaded. She quickly left the crowd behind as she dashed down the alleyway and around back of the store. What she saw when she arrived made her freeze with fear.

About ten men, most likely pirates, stood in front of her but that wasn't the worst part. For in the hands of one of them was Nathan.

When he saw Nami, the man quickly drew his sword and held it to Nathan's neck. "Don't say a word. Don't scream or call for help and don't move. If you do, you know the consequence."

Nami nodded, fearing for her son's life if she spoke.

"Now, you will do exactly as I say. If you do, we will let the boy go." the man said.

Once again, Nami nodded. "Luffy, Vivi, Sanji, anybody!" her brain screamed. "No! They're not here. I have to save us before things get worse!"

"Okay, when I count to three, you will walk toward us. At the same time, I will let the boy go. If you try to make a run for it, we will find you and kill the boy. Got that?" he asked.

Nami shook her head. A plan had already formed in her mind. If they were fast enough, it would work.

"One...two...three." he said. At that time, he let Nathan go and Nami began walking toward them.

When she passed by Nathan she said quietly, "We're going to run. Stay in front of me and don't stop. Ready...now!" she cried.

As he began running, she quickly turned and fell in behind him. Now, if they hit anyone, it would be her.

Nathan started to look back but Nami hissed, "Don't look back! Keep running no matter what happens!"

He fearfully shook his head.

When they rounded the corner Nami spun around, pulling out the pieces to her perfect climatact as she turned. "I've only got one shot at this." she thought as she assembled the weapon.

But the men didn't come. Instead, silence engulfed the entire alley.

"What the..." Nami thought, her eyes darting wildly, looking for any sign of the group.

What happened next happened so fast that Nami only realized what was going on when it was already over. Her climatact was sent flying out of her hands where it landed in pieces a good ten feet away. Then, she was lifted off the ground by two strong hands as Nathan gave an outcry from suffering the same fate. Now, the two of them were completely surrounded.

As Nami slowly realized what had happened, a look of fear flashed in her eyes. "He...he knew what I would do. Impossible!"

The man smirked. "I told you not to try anything. Now, you and your son will pay the price." he said. He leaned closer until his face was practically touching hers. When he spoke, it was only so that she could hear. "You shouldn't try to pull anything on a man who knows the governments secret techniques. Especially not one who also has the instinct to use Mantra."

Nami's eyes went wide. "That secret technique from Skypiea...but...how?! And the government? Who is this guy?!"

He held his sword up to her throat. "Goodbye girly." he said.

At that moment, a foot slammed on top of the man's head, causing him to release his grip on Nami. He fell face forward, his sword clattering to the ground as it fell from his hand.

Nami, still in shock, sunk to her knees as her savior landed in front of her.

"Leave Nami-san alone." he said.

"Why you! How dare you do that to our captain!" one of the other men yelled, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Sanji-kun." Nami whispered.

Sanji turned toward the one who, now fearfully, held Nathan. "You're next." he said.

The man held his sword close to Nathan's throat in a trembling hand. "D-Don't t-try anything or I-I'll kill him!" he stuttered.

"Want to bet?" Sanji asked.

The man let out what sounded like a small squeek. Before he knew what had happened, he was thrown off his feet by a powerful kick to his chest. He slammed into the building behind him and slumped to the ground.

Nathan ran to Nami who immediately wrapped him in her arms as he sobbed out of fear and happiness.

"Who's next?" Sanji asked, turning to the others.

"That's it. We've got a job to do and if we don't finish it, it's our lives we sacrifice. We need to get this guy out of the way so we can get the girl. Somebody just restrain him!" one of the other men cried.

The others let out a cry of agreement and surged forward.

"If that's how it's going to be..." Sanji said as he toed the ground with his right foot, preparing to rush forward.

Meanwhile, Nami reached for the scattered pieces of her climatact around her while still shielding Nathan. "Sanji-kun can't do this alone." she thought. "Even if he wants to try!" She turned to Nathan. "Stay behind me." she commanded.

He nodded, still to terrified to speak.

As Sanji kicked off another one of his attackers, he saw Nami run toward him. "Nami-san! Stay out of this!" he cried as he dodged the swing of another man's sword.

Nami, although reluctant, obeyed. He would only be distracted if she put herself in more danger. She quickly scooted Nathan and herself to the side and out of harms way.

Suddenly, Nami heard a faint groan. She quickly looked behind her and saw the leader of the group slowly raise up slightly. Suddenly unsure of what to do, she pushed herself between Nathan and her would be attacker and clutched her completed climatact in front of her.

With another groan, the man came around. He sat up the rest of the way, slowly taking a moment to get his bearings. It was during that moment that Nami swung at him with all her might. Unfortunately, it was in vain. Even if he had just returned to consciousness, he was still fast and apparently could still use Mantra. He caught the climatact when it was inches from his head. Nami cried out as she pushed with all her strength in a last desperate attempt to save herself. It was no use. The climatact wouldn't budge.

"Your games were cute at first. Now, they're just annoying. I think it's time I finished my job here. I've already taken too much time." the man said through clenched teeth. At the last part, he flashed Nami and evil grin. "That savior of yours may seem like a saint to you, but I'll show you that he is no immortal." With that the man swung the climatact over his head, sending Nami, who still clung to it, crashing to the ground. Then he quickly and gracefully jumped to his feet, pulling something out of the belt at his waist in the process. He extended his arm to full length out in front of him, and, only too late, did Nami see what he held.

"NO!!" she screamed as she lunged for him. Trying in vain to stop him.

The next moment seemed like an eternity to Nami and it would seem even longer when she looked back on it. The man's right finger curled around the trigger of the gun. The bullet flew from the barrel and hit it's mark dead on.

Nami screamed but to her, her own voice sounded very distant. All that was there was a rushing sound. The other men froze as their attacker fell to the ground in front of them.

Time stood still until Nami's piercing scream broke the silence, "SANJI-KUN!!"

As she rushed forward, the men looked to their leader who looked very smug. That is, until one of the men hissed, "Nice going. You were not supposed to kill any one of the Strawhats, remember? Direct orders. You have forfeited all our lives. I hope you're happy." He sheathed his sword and pushed past the leader, turning the corner and soon disappearing from sight. The rest of the men soon follwed suit.

"Where are you going cowards?! Do you think by walking away and leaving our job unfinished that your lives are any safer?! Ha!! There will be no pity on you and I will not help you out of this one!!" the leader yelled to his crew but they didn't turn around. "Hmph. Now, to finish what I started..."

"Just what are you going to finish?" a voice called angrily from the rooftop above the left side of the alley.

The man turned quickly with a smug grin on his face until he saw the outline of the shadow on the rooftop. Fearfully, he unsheathed his sword and tensed for battle.

"Not so fast." another voice said from behind him. A string shot out and wrapped itself around the sword, pulling it from the man's hands.

Grinding his teeth in frustration and fear, the man turned to flee, calling back as he ran, "This isn't over Strawhat." Then he was gone.

Luffy jumped from the roof and landed in front of Vivi just as she finished pulling her peacock string back. He looked over to where Nami was leaning over Sanji. He could hear her choked sobs and they ripped his heart in two. From the look on Vivi's face, she felt the same way.

Slowly, Luffy walked over to where Sanji lay, a pool of red aready spreading around him. Luffy stopped when he was a couple paces behind Nami. His hat shadowed his entire face except for his mouth which was set in a tight, tense line. "Nami..." he said softly.

When she turned around, her eyes seemed to be drowning in her own tears. "Luffy...Sanji...and there were so many...I couldn't..." she whispered in between sobs.

"It's okay. I understand. I'm sorry we couldn't be here sooner." Luffy said calmly.

"Let's get him back to the ship. There may still be something Tony-kun can do." Vivi pointed out as she came to stand by Luffy.

Nami bit her lip and nodded. She knew that if she opened her mouth, the sobs would only become worse.

Luffy kneeled down and carefully wrapped his arms underneath Sanji. One under his torso and one behind his knees. He then gently lifted him off the ground, careful to keep his hand over the bullet's exit hole so as to stop excess bleeding.

Vivi helped Nami up and then turned around to find Nathan standing silently against the wall. "Come on Nathan." Vivi said gently. "It's okay." She walked over to him and smiled, despite the fear raging inside her. She crouched down until they were eye level. She slowly wrapped her fingers through his and stood back up. Then, with a gentle tug, she urged him to come along and they followed behind Luffy and Nami.

"Vivi-sama...I'm scared." Nathan finally said as he chewed nervously on one finger.

"Don't be. Tony-kun is an excellent doctor. I have faith in him." Vivi replied warmly.

Nathan's reply was to squeeze her hand tighter.

The sun was sinking fast behind the horizon when the small procession reached the town square. The streets were practically empty of civilians and all that was left was the night crowd. Mostly drunken pirates who didn't even notice the limp figure in Luffy's arms as they passed by, let alone that the Pirate King himself was the one they were passing by.

By the time they reached the the ship, the sun had set and two anxious faces peered over the railing.

"I see them!!" Chopper cried as Luffy's shadow-like outline came into view.

"It's about time." Usopp muttered from beside him.

"Hey, what's Luffy carrying?" Chopper asked, finally noticing the lump in his captain's arms.

"I'm not sure." Usopp replied. "Hold on." He reached up and pulled his goggles over his eyes. After a second, he turned to Chopper with a now solemn expression. "I think you better get down there."

"Usopp..." Chopper said, trying to find any hint in the marksman's eyes. He could see nothing in the black night. "Okay. I'll go." With that, the reindeer quickly ran to the rope ladder and threw it over the side of the boat. Shifting to heavy point, he climbed down the ladder onto the dock where he turned around to find himself face to face with Luffy. One look at what Usopp had seen from the deck made Chopper's heart stop beating. For a moment, the world was silent and the only noise was the crash of ocean waves against the dock. Finally, Chopper spoke. "Take him to the sick bay. Hurry but be gentle." he ordered.

Without a sound, Luffy began to follow his orders. He gently layed Sanji over one shoulder and held him with one arm, using the other to climb the rope ladder. Chopper was right behind him with Nami close behind.

Vivi, however, turned to Nathan. "Do you want to go take a walk? Or are you hungry? I'm sure there's something in the galley if you want."

Nathan just shook his head, his eyes fixed on the ground. "I want to see daddy." he said softly.

Vivi bit her lip to keep from crying. She didn't want to think about what would happen to Nathan if Sanji...she refused to finish the thought. Instead, she focused on the present time. "Let's go to your room then. I'm sure you need some rest. We will see daddy in the morning, okay?"

"Okay." Nathan replied, still looking at the ground. He chewed at the knuckle of one finger nervously.

Vivi turned away and let a single tear roll down her cheek. Without another word, she began climbing the ladder and, as she had hoped, Nathan follwed. She reached the top and helped him onto the deck before pulling up the ladder and storing it for later. Then, turning to Nathan, "Now, let's get you to bed. It's late." She took his hand and they both went bellow deck where she guided him to the room he, Nami, and Sanji shared. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

Nathan nodded. "Don't leave." he whispered.

"Don't worry. I promise I won't. I'll stay right here." Viv reassured him.

Satisfied with that, Nathan quickly removed his shoes and climbed into bed. Vivi pulled his blanket over him and then shut the door so that no light would bother him. She settled herself into a chair where she waited until she heard the slow, paced sound of his breathing that told her he had gone to sleep. It was only then that she allowed herself to cry.

Meanwhile, down in the sick bay, Chopper was working frantically. He had asked that Nami and Luffy leave and let him do his work. Now, they sat in the galley along with Robin, Franky, Zoro, and Usopp who was the reason the other three were even there.

Nami had stopped crying but she was still shaking. Luffy held a comforting arm around her but otherwise just stared off into the distance. Robin's normally passive face held a few lines of worry and even Zoro seemed slightly worried. Franky was still bawling like a baby. Usopp sniffed every now and then but was otherwise silent.

"That's it!" Usopp finally cried, standing up. "I'm going down there to see what's going on!"

"Sit down Usopp. You'll only make things worse." Zoro said.

Usopp muttered something but sat down anyway.

"It's been too long." Nami whispered, on the verge of tears with every word. Luffy wrapped his arm tighter around her. "This is my fault."

"No it's not." Luffy said, turning to face her. His words were colder than he meant for them to be and his expression wasn't much better. Nami flinched. "No one here is to blame. Got that?"

Nami nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

A heavy silence followed Luffy's strong words until the door of the galley swung open. In the doorway, a very tired looking reindeer, now back in brain point form, stood with a downcast look on his face.

Nami felt her heart drop.

"I think everyone should come down to the sick bay." Chopper said quietly, refusing to look at anyone.

"It was too late wasn't it?" Nami asked. The question was barely heard.

"Follow me." was Chopper's only reply.

Tears started flowing down Nami's face all over again. Luffy held her firmly with one arm as he helped her up.

"It's okay. No matter what happens, remember, none of this is your fault." Luffy whispered in Nami's ear as they followed behind Chopper.

Nami took a shaky breath. "I know." she replied uncertainly.

Luffy came to a dead hault. He turned Nami around to face him and held both her shoulders firmly until she would look him in the eye. "It's. Not. Your. Fault." he said slowly and firmly, seperating each word to give each one more meaning.

Nami nodded, her supressed tears keeping her from speaking.

Satisfied, Luffy wrapped his arm around her again and they followed Chopper the rest of the way to the sick bay.

Chopper paused at the door and finally turned to look at the rest of the crew members. "Before we go in here, I guess I should tell you what's going on. Sanji...is in a very critical condition. As of right now, his chances of survival are one to ten. In other words, not good at all. I brought all of you down here just in case I fail. I thought you should be here." Without waiting for a reply, he opened the door and walked in.

Luffy, Nami, Zoro, Franky, Usopp, and Robin followed. They all gathered around the small cot on which Sanji now lay. His chest was covered in white bandages now stained crimson. His breathing came in short gasps that you could hear rattle in his chest. His skin was so pale from loss of blood that it was nearly transparent.

Slowly, Nami moved forward and reached out a shaky hand. She ran her fingers softly along Sanji's cheek down to the base of his neck. "Don't leave me." she pleaded in barely a whisper. "Please. I need you. We all do."

"She's right dartboard. You know anything Luffy cooks tastes like cardboard." Zoro said, a forced smirk on his face.

"Cook-san..." Robin whispered.

"Sanji's going to DIE!!" Usopp wailed, tears flowing freely.

"Shut up!" Luffy yelled at him.

Franky was on his hands and knees bawling. He muttered between sobs so low that no one heard him, "This...is not...supa..."

Nami sunk to her knees and dug her fingers into the edge of the cot. She layed her head on the edge and cried harder. "Sanji...please..." she begged in a whisper.

Suddenly, Sanji's breathing quickened and tremors shook his body. Nami looked up, eyes wide. Chopper rushed to the cot.

"Hold him down. He will only cause more damage to himself if he keeps moving!!" Chopper ordered.

Nami was still in slight shock so Franky, Usopp, and Zoro ran to assist Chopper. They stopped short when several arms popped up around Sanji on the cot and held him firmly in place.

"Thanks Robin." Chopper said. He was already listening to Sanji's breathing and checking his pulse. He rushed aound to the other side of the cot and switced to heavy point. He carefully removed Sanji's bandages to check underneath. "The stitches have come loose." he muttered with a frown. The rest of the crew watched silently as Chopper quickly dug through his medical bag until he came up with the proper materials he needed to redo the stitches.

Nami silently slid her hand into Sanji's and stroked the top of his hand with her free one.

As Chopper turned back to begin the stitches, Sanji suddenly stopped straining against Robin's arms. His breathing grew shallow and came in short gasps.

Everyone seemed to grow very still, even Chopper.

Then suddenly, there was no movement at all and everyone moved at once.

"Sanji!!" Nami screamed. "His hand...it's so cold..." she thought.

Chopper dropped everything and rushed forward.

Robin removed her hands.

Usopp gritted his teeth while tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

Franky sniffed, threatening to burst into tears at any moment.

Zoro rushed forward to help Chopper.

Luffy went and knelt down beside Nami, gently patting her shoulder. Tears were in his eyes but he didn't let her see that.

Then just as suddenly as it had started, it was over.

Chopper dropped Sanji's wrist and looked down at the floor, already starting to cry. He was now back in brain point form.

Robin stared hard at the floor, trying not to cry. "Cook-san..." she murmered.

Usopp clenched his hands into fists and lowered his head as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Franky started bawling and went down on all fours.

Zoro didn't cry. He just stood there, face hard, jaw tense.

Nami clutched at the sheets, screaming Sanji's name over and over.

Luffy was crying but he was trying not to let Nami see.

"He's...he's...dead." Chopper managed to say in quiet shock.

The room grew very quiet except for a couple of sniffs and Nami's screaming.

"Take her out of here Luffy." Zoro instructed.

Luffy nodded in agreement. Silently he put his arm around her waist and lifted her into his arms. He managed to pull her away from the cot although she clawed at it and it took him a moment. When she let go, she clutched his shirt and buried her head in his chest.

When they were gone, Chopper looked at the rest of the crew and said, "You may want to get some rest now. There is nothing more that can be done."

Although everyone knew sleep would be impossible, they filed out of the room, not wanting to have to look at the dead body of their friend any longer.

Chopper stayed behind to take care of the body. It was a job he did not look forward to at all.

Meanwhile, Luffy took Nami to the room shared by her, Nathan, and Sanji. He balanced Nami in one arm and turned the knob with the other.

The light from the hallway shone in and a small beam hit Vivi's face. She woke up and heard Nami's sobs and saw the outline of Luffy standing in the door. "Luffy-kun...Nami-san..." she mumbled, still half asleep.

"Vivi..." Luffy said flattly. It wasn't a question.

Vivi immediately caught the tone in his voice and said in barely a whisper, "Sanji-kun...did he..."

Luffy nodded and even in the dim light, Vivi could see him.

For a moment, the only sounds came from Nami who was still buried in Luffy's chest, crying softly.

Then Vivi stood up, moving from the chair and into a standing postion, wanting to help but not knowing how. Luffy nodded for her to wait and then walked over and carefully layed Nami down on her bed. Atleast, that's what he tried to do. She refused to let go of him, holding on to him with all her strength and burying her head even deeper. Luffy gave up and sat down on the bed, still holding her in his arms.

Vivi came over and sat down beside him. No one spoke for what seemed like an eternity.

Finally, there was a sound from the small bed on the other side of the room. "Mommy?" Nathan's small voice whispered sleepily.

Nami immediately became more alert at the sound of her child's voice. She lifted her head, tears still in the corners of her eyes and replied, "I'm right here honey."

"Mommy!!" Nathan cried and ran to her.

Luffy set her down beside him on the bed and a second later, she was holding Nathan in her arms.

Luffy turned to his other side and silently took Vivi's hand. He stood and they both walked out of the room, Vivi shutting the door softly behind her. Luffy held tightly to her hand.

Vivi noticed this and the tight set of his jaw but what bothered her most was his troubled eyes. "Luffy-san..." she said quietly, trailing off when she couldn't think of anything to say.

He stared at her, a mix of anger and sadness in his eyes.

"What...happened?" she asked hesitantly.

A flash of pain flickered in his eyes but disappeared quickly. Still, she regreted bringing it up. He shrugged and in a low voice said, "I don't know but whoever did this will pay." He let go of her hand and walked down the hall, hands clenched into tight fists.

"Luffy-san..." Vivi whispered, staring as he walked away.

_**Okay! Okay! I know what you are thinking: "What?! You killed Sanji!!" Please. No flames with any kind of message like this. Honestly, I hated to do it but it had to happen. I'm sorry but you will see why as the story moves along. Really, I am sorry!! Sanji is one of my favorite characters and this wasn't easy to do so please forgive me!!**_


	2. Complications

_**I know. I know. It's been a couple of weeks but in my defense, I went on vacation for eight of those days! I haven't given up on this story though. Like I said, no matter how long it takes, I'm going to see it through so stay with me. I didn't get as many reviews as I expected but what can I say. I was gone so long most of them probably gave up on me-- Sigh Anyway, please enjoy.**_

**Chapter 2**

The steel door opened slowly. The room that was behind the door was made completely of stone. The only light came from the open door and the six windows that where tiny slits in the stone walls along either side of the long room. The only piece of furniture was the very long and wide table that took up the entire room. There were chairs along the sides and one at the head of each end of the oval, wooden table. A dark figure sat at the end of the table farthest from the door.

A group of ten men walked in. The leader was calm but the rest were looking nervously toward the figure at the table's head. This was the same group of men who had attacked Nami back in Lougetown.

Without moving or acknowledging their prescence, the figure at the end of the table asked in a monotone voice, "Did you get the girl like I asked?"

Suddenly, even the leader was nervous. His voice shook slightly as he replied, "Um...well...no sir. We-"

"Then Strawhat will not be coming? Is that what you are saying?" the answer came in the same monotone as before.

"Well...not exactly sir. We killed one of his crew-"

"I told you not one of them was to be harmed. That was my part." the man said calmly, still monotone.

The leader, along with the other men, was now trembling. "But sir...our mission was comprom-"

He never finished his sentence. He clutched his stomach where blood now poured from several bullet-like holes. Then, with a distant look in his eyes, he fell to the floor, dead.

The man who had only seconds ago been at the table, now stood over the dead body, hands in his pockets.. "Fool." he muttered with a slight hint of annoyance. "Not even Mantra can keep up with rokushiki techniques."

The other men coward in fear against the wall.

The man turned to them. "Anyone else with a better explination?" he asked, now back to monotone.

One man stepped forward. "Umm...I do sir...you see...technically you said you only wanted Strawhat-"

A flash of anger appeared in the man's eyes, the first show of emotion during the whole time they had been there. He disappeared, one hand coming out if his pocket, the index finger already sticking out.

Five minutes later, a short man with brown, shaggy hair walked into the dark room. "You called for a clean-up sir?"

"Yes. There by the door." a voice answered from the end of the long table. Again, it was in monotone.

"I'll take care of it right away." the short man said and disappeared to get some supplies.

Meanwhile, the man at the end of the table stood up. He picked up a black top-hat that had been sitting on the table in front of him and placed it on his head. Then he stood up, hands in his pockets, and walked slowly to the other side of the room. He paused in the open doorway and looked down at his feet. There were pools of blood from the ten dead bodies that lay on the floor their. The man nudged the one who had been the leader and then left the room. "What a waste." he thought as he walked down the brightly lit corridor. "My best trained men fail me and I am forced to kill them. How sad. I will have to set my second plan in motion. This one, I know, will not fail." As he opened the door to a large bedroom, his face remained emotionless, just as it had since his small burst of anger. He closed the door behind him. "Strawhat, the world you know is about to end," he thought as he closed the door behind him. The thought brought out a demonic smile. Anticipation shone in his eyes. "Soon. Very soon."

Thousand Sunny

The week after Sanji's death left a nearly unbearable silence on board "Thousand Sunny." The funeral had been the day after and it was one where many tears were shed as the bright flames flickered and then consumed the small boat that held the body of their beloved nakama. It was the proper viking funeral he had deserved. Then came the silence. Everyone wandered around like they had died along with Sanji and all that was left was an empty shell, a living corpse. Even Zoro was strangely silent and solemn.

Nami, however, was a completely different story. She would often scream in the middle of the night, waking with tears rolling down her face. Whenever someone on the ship would do something that even remotely reminded her of Sanji, she would burst into tears. Nathan had been so terrified and confused by his mother's outbursts that Vivi removed him from her prescence.

Through it all, Luffy took care of her though. He was never farther than a few feet and when she would cry, he would hold her and tell her it would be alright.

After a week of this though, there was alot of tension on the ship. No one wanted to be the first to return to normal and seem too happy but no one wanted to be stuck in this misery forever. It was a hopeless situation.

Then, early one morning, Zoro, Robin, Franky, and Usopp were sitting around the kitchen table after a sleepless night listening to Nami's cries. It had been a week and things had not gotten better.

After a long silence, Zoro stood up and slammed his fist on the table. "That's it!" he said in a much louder tone than anyone had used aboard the ship since the funeral. All heads turned toward him, their dull eyes beginning to focus again.

"What's it?" Usopp finally asked dully, still not out of the silent stupor that had hung over the ship for days.

Zoro closed his eyes as he leaned his head down. He gritted his teeth and clasped one hand over his closed eyes and then ran it through his hair. "I can't take this anymore." he muttered. He put both hands, palm down, onto the top of the table and leaned forward, meeting each person's eye. "Haven't you noticed the change? One person dies and it's suddenly like our lives are over?!" His voice rose with every word.

Robin looked around the table calmly. "He's right you know. We can't just shut down after one person dies. Death is bound to find us all one day."

Usopp shuddered a little at Robin's slightly morbid point. Then, with a sigh, he said, "I guess she's right. This was bound to happen sometime. I just wish it didn't have to be Sanji..."

"Would it be different if it where anyone else?" Zoro pointed out.

"I guess not." Usopp said with a frown, propping one elbow on the table and propping his head in that hand.

Franky, who was leaning thoughfully back in a chair said, "Now that we have decided this, what now? It's not like Nami is going to get any better. She-"

At that moment, the door swung open and a very tired and frazzled Vivi walked in. Her head hung low as she took a seat at the table. She didn't meet anyone's curious gaze, just simply crossed her arms on top of the table and put her head on them.

"Princess-san...are you alright?" Robin finally asked.

A mumbled response came from somewhere in the folds of Vivi's arms.

"Umm...Vivi..." Usopp started and stopped due to a loss for words.

Zoro stared at her curiously as did Franky.

Finally, Vivi looked up and there were tears in her eyes. "I can't take it anymore!!" she practically shouted. "Everyday it's the same thing! Take care of Nathan and spend my every waking minute telling him it's okay because Nami won't even come out of her pity party to move on with her life and help her son!! I'm so tired because I've barely slept because of his nightmares and Luffy's acting so weird...IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY!!" She stopped and gasped for air because most of what she had said had come out in one breath.

A shocked silence fell over the room at her strange behavior before there was a light chuckle. The odd sound confused everyone further for they hadn't heard even the beginnings of a laugh in days. They turned to it's source, Robin.

She smiled and explained. "Princess-san is just under alot of pressure and hasn't been getting enough sleep. I just find it amusing to see her this way."

"Oh..." everyone but Vivi said in unison.

"Now, cyborg-san, make her some hot tea. Longnose-kun, you get some extra blankets and bring them here. Swordsman-san, you can relax now." Robin instructed. She had sort of become the voice of reason during Nami's mental breakdown.

Usopp and Franky quickly rushed off to do as they were told and came back in a few minutes with blankets and a hot cup of tea.

Robin took the cup and set it infront of Vivi. "Drink it." she instructed.

Vivi was still a bit dazed from her outburst and so she took the tea on command without protest. While she drank, Robin used her hands to tuck one blanket over Vivi's shoulders. When she finished her tea, Vivi layed her head down and soon fell asleep from exaustion. Robin tucked the blanket tighter around her.

"Wow. What did you do to her?" Usopp asked.

"Nothing really." Robin replied. "She was tired so I helped her enough to fall asleep. She needs it."

"So...now what?" Franky asked.

"It seems to me everyone here is fine. Now we just have Chopper, Nami, and our suddenly serious captain to deal with." Zoro replied.

"Chopper will come around." Usopp said. "Luffy and Nami are a little more of a challange though."

"We have to get them back to normal somehow. I have a feeling that if navigator-san is okay, then captain-san will be also." Robin said thoughtfully.

"Then the key here is Nami?" Usopp asked after a moment of thought.

"Yes. That was exactly my thoughts." Robin said. "First, we need to seperate her and captain-san."

"How do we do that?" Franky asked.

"We could do it the hard way unless anyone has any better ideas." Zoro challenged.

"Actually swordsman-san, that would only make things worse. We must show her that there is a better way to live. To do that, though, I will have to talk to her and get to the bottom of her problem. The root of all this. I will try to do it tonight. We will meet back here tomorrow. For now, we should act as if nothing has changed." Robin instructed and then stood up. She took Vivi's empty cup to the sink and then left the room.

"You heard what she said. Let's go. Just leave Vivi here." Zoro said and got up and left.

Usopp and Franky looked at each other, shrugged, and then also left.

Meanwhile, Luffy and Nami sat in Nami's room. They were side by side on her bed, a candle the only source of light in the room. Nami took deep breaths to steady herself as Luffy watched her carefully, waiting for a tremble or any movement that would signal another round of sobs.

When Luffy felt sure there would be no more sobs for a few minutes, he stood up to go and get Nami something to eat and drink since she refused to do so herself.

As he stood, Nami did something unexpected. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him back on the bed beside her. Her fingers dug into the fabric like claws and she practically screamed, "Don't leave me Luffy!! Ever!!" She pulled herself closer and crawled into his lap.

Luffy was so shocked he had no time to react. Suddenly her lips were against his, moving in frantic motions. She shifted her wait until they both fell to the bed and were laying side by side, her hands pulling him closer and her lips moving even more frantically.

A thought managed to break through Luffy's daze. "This is wrong." he thought, but by then it was too late.

At that moment, the door swung open. Nami immediately released Luffy and practically pushed him off the bed in an attempt to hide her misdeeds. She sat up quickly while Luffy slowly pulled himself up and looked toward the door and into the shocked face of...Vivi.

"Luffy...you...how..." she stuttered in a barely audible whisper. Then she turned, slammed the door, and was gone.

Luffy just stared numbly at the door. Then, without a word, he picked up his hat from where it had fallen on the bed and left the room.

Nami stared at his back and then at the open doorway long after he was gone.

_**What did you think? Especially that last part? It might have seemed kind of sudden but if you remember the end of my last story, it shouldn't be that surprising. Oh, and I appologize for the beginning of this chapter. I know it was probably a little confusing but I didn't want to give it away. I think most of you already know who it is anyway though. Also, I appologize if this chapter was a little boring. Trust me. It gets better. **_


	3. Resolution?

_** First of all, please let me appologize. I know it's been nearly two years and that is way too long and I am so sorry for that. I know many of you have probably given up on me but I still intend to finish this story, no matter how long it takes. I've just been having a lot of problems that I've been having trouble dealing with and a lot of times I'll admit, I didn't feel like writing and sometimes even couldn't write...er...type. But, I do have this story planned out to the end and as I said, I'll finish it. It might just be at a slower pace than I used to type.**_

**Chapter 3**

The door opened, casting light on a previously dark room.

"Go away." a muffled voice growled from the shadowy corner of the room.

Instead of leaving, the person shut the door and lit a candle that was on a desk near the door.

"I said go away." the muffled voice said with slightly less ferocity.

"I'm not going anywhere." the person answered as they sat down on the edge of the bed. Their voice had an unnatural edge to it.

With a huge sigh of reluctance, Nami unburied herself from the sheets and blankets until she came into the dim light. She turned to stare at her intruder.

Robin stared back with unwavering eyes. There was a tinge of anger that was hardly ever present in the woman's eyes.

Nami shrunk back into the folds of blankets, already knowing what was to come.

"Do not attempt to hide. You know why I am here and why I refuse to leave." Robin said with restraint, obviously trying to keep the angry edge from entering her voice as well as her eyes. She knew arguing and anger would get them nowhere. She waited patiently for an answer.

Nami buried herself underneath the blankets anyway. A moment later, her muffled response came. "You know how I feel Robin. You have known all along."

"Yes, I know. I also know that your husband, whom you pledged your eternal love with and even had a child with, is now dead. I also know that you should be mourning him or atleast remembering all the precious moments you shared together and you should be beginning the healing process. I know that instead you threw away his memory as if he were an afterthought and then attempted to seduce a man who is soon to be married. I know all of that." Robin said, a hint of anger entering her voice toward the end. She closed her eyes a moment to regain control. She did not often feel this way and she hated losing control of herself for even a second. That is what anger did though. It took your self control.

After what seemed like hours, Nami's reply came faintly through the blankets and sheets. "Please don't be angry."

Robin softend slightly. She used her hands to remove the covers and toss them to the floor. "Sit up navigator-san and let's talk."

Nami reluctantly did as Robin asked. Now, they were sitting side by side on the bed. Nami refused to meet Robin's eyes.

"I apologize for my rude behavior a moment ago. It was uncalled for." Robin began.

Nami finally looked up and said, "You have every right to be angry with me Robin." She looked away again, unable to meet Robin's gaze as she answered her statement.

"I do but I will not let anger get the best of me navigator-san. I want you to tell me what was going through your head today." Robin answered calmly.

Nami looked up, slightly dazed at the unexpected response. "Robin..." Nami said in barely a whisper. Then, suddenly, she burst into tears. She put her head in her hands and sobbed. Robin waited patiently until she was able to talk. Everything suddenly came out in a rush of tears and gasps but the truth came out. "Robin you don't know what happened. No one knows what really happened. One night I found him and I told him how I felt. He turned me down and then Sanji was there for me and I couldn't hurt him. Then Nathan came and I tried...I really tried! I just couldn't stand it with him around. It hurt so much...but I couldn't leave alone and so I told all of you to leave too. I was horrible Robin! Now Sanji dies and the only reason I cry is because I regretted never being able to give my whole heart to him. I loved him like a brother or a friend but never anything more. I should have told him. I should have never let any of that happen. He would be alive if he wasn't protecting me. He died for a love that was fake. Then earlier, I couldn't help myself. I felt so guilty but at the same time I was free once again to chase what my heart wanted. I thought I needed something to distract me and since he had been looking after me this week...I thought he might feel differently now...but no. He loves her and I love him. Such a horrible predicament that I should never have acted on. I'm a horrible person Robin." She hung her head and waited in the heavy silence for Robin's answer.

Finally, Robin said slowly and thoughtfully, "I should have guessed it but you are good at hiding your true feelings. I do no condone what you did but I cannot help but admire your dedication to a relationship you had no desire to be in. Cook-san died believing you loved him and in your own way, you did. Your other love overshadowed your true feelings for cook-san and don't tell me you did not love him at all. If you hadn't, your dedication would not have been so strong, regardless of the situation. However, you cannot continue to intrude on captain-san's relationship with princess-san or the crew will soon be divided. I am at a loss as to what to tell you to do about your feelings but do not act on them. Try to heal and hold on to the love for your son and your friends right now. That is the best advice I can offer."

Nami nodded slowly. "That makes sense. And you are right. I did love Sanji, just...not as much as I love Luffy. I guess that was enough though, and atleast I made him happy during the time he was alive and I have a wonderful son who I love and friends who care about me. That is enough. Time may not change how I feel but it will teach me how to deal with it. Thank you Robin." Nami said. With this last sentence, she looked up and gave Robin a weak smile.

Robin returned the smile but then suddenly frowned. "It is fine that you have settled your problems but there is still one matter that must be resolved. You need to talk to captain-san and princess-san." Robin said seriously.

Nami closed her eyes and rubbed her temple with one hand. "I know." she replied quietly. "I know."

"Good. I expect you to do so soon or I fear things will get out of control. Good luck." Robin said. Then she stood up and left the room, leaving Nami to her thoughts and decisions.

"She's right. I need to go now and work this out. Tell Vivi it was just a misunderstanding and that it wasn't Luffy's fault. Then I need to tell Luffy how I feel and then tell him I do not plan to interfere anymore." Nami thought. Her mind made up, she stood up and went to carry out her plan.

"First thing is to find Vivi and avoid Luffy at all costs." Nami thought. Then, as an afterthought, "Actually, it would probably be better to avoid the whole crew right now. I don't think I'm on the best terms with any of them..."

Nami quickly made her way to the one place she knew Vivi would be. One place even Luffy would not go. The womens' cabin. Without pausing to knock(after all, this had been her room at one point), she flung the door open and found the cabin well lit. Robin had not returned here yet and as she scanned the room, she found what, or more precisely who, she was looking for curled up in a ball on the bed in the far, left, back corner. Vivi's bed.

"Knock knock." Nami said in an attempt to lighten the mood. Her voice came out weak and shaky, though, and ruined the effect. She shut the door and walked over to sit at Robin's desk(her old one), which sat next to Vivi's bed. She pulled the chair out and giggled nervously, a smile that matched the giggle appeared on her face. "Um...Vivi...can we...you know...heh...talk?" she asked just as nervously as her giggle and smile had been.

Vivi didn't move or respond in any way.

Nami closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Calm down." she thought to herself. "You expected this." She opened her eyes and looked toward Vivi. "Vivi...please. I feel horrible and I want a chance to explain things. Just give me two minutes and then after that you can kick me out and hate me forever. Okay?"

Still no response from Vivi's side. Nami paused briefly to make sure she was still breathing.

Nami sighed and continued anyway. "Fine. If you're not going to do anything about it, then I'm just going to sit here and explain because I know you can hear me. First of all, this has nothing to do with Luffy. It was my fault. I caught him off guard and kissed him and...well...you saw the rest. Second of all, don't go blaming him. He still loves you. I know he does because...he didn't kiss me back. He knew it was wrong and I think he wished it was you holding him captive instead. Vivi...don't let me break up the wonderful relationship you have with Luffy. I was lonely and my brain has been clouded over so don't let my momentary lapse of judgement do that. Talk to him. Please don't hate him for something stupid I did." Nami pleaded. Then thought, "It's best not to tell her that I love him as much as she does. It would only complicate things."

Vivi finally stirred. When she rose, she looked at Nami with cold, dead eyes. "Get out and never come back." she said in a low, threatening voice.

Nami's eyes widened and she cringed away from Vivi. Never before had she seen Vivi like that, heard her icy voice. Never. "Vivi...please..." she begged in a whisper.

"I will not tell you twice. I never want to see you again so just leave. I hate you." she hissed.

Nami stood. "Fine. Hate me. Just don't let it destroy your relationship with the best man you will ever have!" With that, she turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Vivi just stood where she was, a look of cold hatred on her normally calm face.

Out in the hallway, Nami leaned against the door to the girls cabin, silently cursing herself for losing her temper. After all, Vivi had every right to hate her. She, on the other hand, had no reason to be angry.

"Don't worry navigator-san. She will come around. For now, I suggest you talk to captain-san. Perhaps you will find he is more cooperative." Robin suggested.

Nami looked up, startled. She had not heard Robin approaching but then again, she had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts, she probably would have missed the ship sinking. "Robin, what do I do if he won't listen?" she finally asked helplessly.

"Then atleast you have tried to right your wrongs." Robin replied. "Sometimes, that's all you can do."

Nami sprang to her feet. "All I can do is not good enough!" she cried. "After everything I did! I can't let this happen! This crew will not be divided on my account! Not again!" With that, she stormed off past Robin toward the hatch that led above-decks.

Robin smiled as she watched her go. "I knew that would work." she thought. "Now, I will be the one to reason with princess-san." She pushed open the door to the cabin and went inside, shutting the door behind her.

Meanwhile, Nami had made it to the top deck. There was one place she was certain Luffy would be. Sure enough, as she approached the bow of the ship, she saw him sitting cross-legged on the lion's head, his back to her. She came up behind him and when he did not turn around, she cleared her throat loudly. When he still did not answer, she started timidly, "Uh...Luffy...could I talk to you...please?"

"Go away." he said in a dead voice unlike any Nami had heard before.

"No." she said more forcefully.

"Fine. Stand there if you want." he said. "I won't talk to you."

"You already are." Nami pointed out.

There was silence.

Nami closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I was wrong. Hate me if you want. I don't care. If you won't speak to me, atleast speak to Vivi. She needs you Luffy."

A moment of silence passed before Luffy turned around. There were tears in his eyes. "I've lost her again Nami, haven't I?"

"No Luffy." Nami said quietly, shocked at this change. "You haven't lost her. You just have to go after her. Don't let her go. Make her see that you love her and what happened with us was a mistake. You have to."

Luffy lowered his head. When he raised it up to meet Nami's eyes, his tears had been replaced by a deep understanding gaze. "What happened before you left...that hasn't changed, has it?"

Nami knew what he was talking about, yet was reluctant to answer. "Yes." she finally said. "It hasn't changed. I have, though. I know it can never be and so I will never bother you again. That's why...that's why I'm leaving this crew."

Luffy's eyes widened. "You...you can't do that Nami. You're my friend!"

"Oh Luffy...please don't say that," Nami begged. "It will only make this harder to do."

Luffy jumped down off the lion's head and took Nami firmly by the shoulders. "Listen to me. I don't care what happened. That doesn't matter. I'm not losing any more nakama!"

Nami felt tears begin in the corners of her eyes but she forced them back down and in the most calm voice she could manage said, "I have to Luffy. If you care about Vivi and you want her back, this is what you have to let me do. Me and Nathan will go back to the All Blue and manage the resturant. All of you can visit us there. You do still have the eternal compass I gave you before we left, don't you? I'll be fine but as long as you keep me around, Vivi will never forgive you."

There was pain in Luffy's eyes but he slowly nodded his head. "If that's the way it has to be, then so be it."

Nami fought ever harder against the tears as she thought, "So there is the most honest answer I'll ever get. He's willing to give up a crewmember to save his relationship with Vivi. He can never love me and so it truly is better if I go, for both of us." She looked up into his eyes one last time, then slowly turned and walked away to gather her things.

_** A bit much? I kind of feel like this chapter is a little...I don't know, heavy? Maybe a little bit over-dramatic? Trust me though, it was neccesary for what comes next. You'll see. ^_-**_


	4. Hostage

_** Thank you so much for all of the reviews! It's nice to know that even after my couple of bad years there that people still are reading this story and I think by the time this story is over, you will all be satisfied, whether you are a fan of Nami or not. Also something I should probably mention is the, just as in Pirate Queen, there is some OOC moments. Sorry! Probably should have made that clearer sooner! Anyway, please enjoy.**_

**Chapter 4**

Nami opened the door to her bedroom to find Nathan standing there by her bed and Zoro seated behind him.

"He was looking for you so I brought him here. I figured you would show up eventually." Zoro said.

"Th-thanks..." Nami stammered nervously as she approached Nathan. She still wasn't sure how the crew felt about her.

Zoro stood to go.

As he put his hand on the doorknob, Nami cried, "Zoro, wait!"

He paused and turned his head to look at her.

"Please...don't hate me..." she said quietly.

"Nami, I don't hate you. None of us hates you. Well, except maybe Vivi, but that's understandable. We're just frustrated with you. You have a wonderful son who's missed you and you have friends who care about you. You need to stop this whole pity party and get on with your life. What happened with Luffy is your business and we have no part in that." he replied.

"Well, I am getting on with my life. I'm leaving the crew to go back and take care of Baratie so you won't have to worry about me anymore." Nami said defensively. What Zoro had said was the truth but it still stung.

Zoro shrugged. "Suit yourself." he said, and walked out.

"Mommy..." Nathan's small voice came from behind her and she felt a small pull on her shirt. She turned around to face him. "Are we really leaving?"

"Oh Nathan," she said as she sat on the bed and put him on her lap, "Mommy has messed up these past few days. I haven't been around to make sure you're okay and I've hurt one of my friends really bad."

"Can't you just say you're sorry?" he asked innocently.

"It's not that simple sweetie." she replied as she kissed the top of his head. "Besides, I think daddy would want us to go back and take care of his resturant for him. He loved this crew but he also missed the All Blue and making people happy with his food. Me and you will do what he can't do now. Won't that be great?"

"But I'll miss everybody..." Nathan said sadly.

"I will too, baby, I will too." Nami said as she pulled him to her tightly.

Later, her suitcases all packed, Nami left her room to go find Franky. She started by looking in his workshop near the bottom of the ship and, to her luck, she found him.

Hearing her approach, Franky looked up from what he was doing and, seeing Nami, set down the parts he had been working with and came over to her. "What brings you down here?" he asked.

"I was actually wondering if I could borrow something of yours..." Nami replied hesitantly.

Franky shrugged. "Why not?" he said. "What do you need?"

"I actually need a small ship. You know, something that could get me from here to, say, the All Blue." Nami said.

"Oh, right. You're leaving aren't you? Sorry to hear about that but I can't say I blame you. I'm sure you want away from all this and what better place than Baratie, right? Well, anyway, I'm guessing you'll need a boat big enough for you and your son and something that can carry probably a week's worth of supplies. I have something to those specifics but it will take a couple of days to prepare." Franky told her.

"That's fine. I appreciate it a lot!" Nami said with gratitude.

"It's no problem. I was going to work on it soon anyway. See you later Nami." Franky said as Nami turned to leave.

Making her way back to her room, Nami decided it was best to grab Nathan and get something to eat. It was almost lunch time and without a chef aboard, meals where more of a get-what-you-make-yourself deal rather than an organized point in the day.

As she turned the corner of the hall that led to her room, she nearly collided with Robin.

"Robin! I'm sorry! I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going." Nami appologized.

"No worries navigator-san." Robin said with a smile. "You have a lot on your mind I imagine."

"Oh, yeah. So I guess everybody knows then. Luffy and Zoro have big mouths." Nami muttered.

"I suppose they do. Anyway, I was coming to see if you or Nathan wanted any tea. I am making some and have extra if you like. I'll be in the galley if you decide to join me." With that, Robin walked back down the hall Nami had just come down, turned a corner, and disappeared from sight.

"I truly will never understand that woman." Nami said to herself. Then, turning her attention back to what she had been doing, she went on to her room and opened the door.

The first thing she noticed was that it was very dark, which was odd since she remembered leaving a light on when she left.

"Maybe Nathan went out and just put the light out." she thought. Still, she reached for her weapon, which attached under her skirt to her thigh.

Suddenly, she heard a muffled cry from the corner of her room behind her. She spun around toward the sound, pulling out her perfect climatact in the process. By the time she was facing the corner, the climatact was already assembled and held between her two hands in a combat-ready position. Taking one section, she quickly created a ball of electricity to lend light to the room, giving the place an eerie glow. What she saw nearly took her breath away.

In the corner was a dark, slender figure, but that was not what frightened Nami. What frightened her was the gloved hand over her son's mouth and the knife that was held to his throat.

"Let him go!" Nami screamed, raising the climatact.

"I don't think you want to do that." the figure said in a cold, dead voice. They pressed the knife harder to Nathan's throat and he squeeled.

Nami flinched but did not lower her weapon. "What do you want?" she asked as calmly as she could.

Unbeknown to both parties was the single eye that was slowly disappearing from the door.

"Nothing much. A ride really. I think you can make sure that is provided for me?" they asked. Nami was pretty sure the person was female.

Trying to get Nathan out of the way, Nami went along with the game. "Well, we're on a ship aren't we? What other mode of transportation could you possibly hope for?"

"No need to get smart with me," she replied, "Or this child may have to suffer."

"I'm sorry. I didn't intend to imply that-"

At that moment, Nami was interrupted by the implosion of the wall between them. As dust and debris flew around her, she lost sight of Nathan and her intruder. Thinking it the best moment for action, she ran through the dust toward the spot she had last seen them. Seeing Nathan's foot, she looked up and seeing the woman's shadow was a good head taller than him, she swung her climatact as hard as she could. Feeling it connect, she heard the clatter of a knife followed by the solid thunk of a body falling. Grabbing Nathan, she ran toward the hole in the wall that led straight out to the hallway.

Clearling the dust, she immediately collapsed in a fight of coughing, hugging Nathan tight to her.

"Drink this navigator-san." Robin said, handing her a cup of tea.

Nami gratefully took a few steadying sips and then gave the rest to Nathan. Then, looking around, she asked, "You...the wall...how...?"

"It was not me who did the damage to your wall. The men are taking care of things. Come. Longnose-kun is making you and your son something to eat." With that, Robin helped her up and the three went to the galley.

When they entered, Chopper was standing there. "Is everyone okay?" he asked urgently.

"They're fine doctor-san. Don't worry." Robin said with a reassuring smile.

"I don't get it. How did you guys know to come?" Nami asked as she took a seat.

"I came to bring you the extra tea. I thought you may not have wanted to join me here after all. I heard you screaming at someone and so I took a look. When I saw what was going on, I went and found swordsman-san. He found cyborg-san and captain-san and brought them with him. I also asked doctor-san to wait here incase he was needed. Then swordsman-san made the hole in your wall and you handled the rest." Robin explained.

"Thank you Robin. I don't know what we would have done if something hadn't happened." Nami said gratefully.

"Sounds bad to me. I mean, why would someone be so desperate to sneak aboard our ship and take a hostage?" Usopp asked.

"She wanted a ride. I don't know anything else. Still, we've been at seas for days. Why is it she's just now making her prescence known?" Nami pondered.

"I would say we will soon find out." Robin said as Usopp served them all bowls of steaming soup.

A few minutes later, Zoro entered the galley followed by Luffy.

Everyone at the table looked at them expectantly.

"Well..." Usopp finally asked.

"Well what?" Zoro retorted.

"Well who was that woman in my room?" Nami cried.

"It wasn't a woman. In fact, it was a girl and she can't be older than fourteen. We came here to get Chopper to take a look at her. She looks like she might be in bad shape. She's down on one of the cots in the sick bay right now. Franky's watching over her." Zoro said.

"What? Okay, you have to be mistaken! Fourteen? Is this some kind of joke?" Nami cried.

"No, it's not and you've already nearly killed her. What were you thinking Nami?" Zoro asked.

"I'll tell you what I was thinking!" Nami yelled, outraged. She stood up and slammed a fist on the table. "I was thinking that she was about to kill my son and that she sounded way older than any fourteen-year-old I've ever heard! In fact, I'm going go see for myself." With that, she stormed out of the galley before anyone could stop her.

Everyone remained seated for a moment in silence and then it seemed as if everyone moved at once. They ran toward the sick bay in a frenzy of bodies, all trying to either learn the truth or stop Nami.

Upon arrival at the sick bay, they all stopped. Nami stood motionless over the cot, her eyes wide in horror. "What have I done?" she whispered.

For on the cot indeed layed a girl dressed entirely in black who, as Zoro had said, could be no older than fourteen. Her short, silky, black hair was matted with blood that came from a massive welt on her right temple. Her breathing was shallow and she appeared very pale.

"Told you." Zoro muttered as Chopper raced into action.

Everyone else just stood in silence, watching Nami, who felt all their accusing glances.

_** This chapter seems shorter to me for some reason. Not sure why but it does. Still, there really wasn't any other place I wanted to stop it. The plot is starting to go in a different direction now and I'm getting excited. I've been dying to reach this point! So, hopefully you will never have to wait too long again!**_


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